Private Dancer 9:24 Fri Sep 29One Journo's view of a 'home' game at the LS

SWANSEA could prove to be poor Slaven Bilic’s swansong tomorrow.

By David Woods, Chief Football Writer.

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic could be the next one to goIt’s easy to pity the likeable Croatian, but hard to have sympathy for West Ham’s hierarchy.

Since moving to the London Stadium it’s been more a case of forever bursting bubbles rather than blowing them.

Because let’s cut to the chase, the former Olympic centrepiece is not a football stadium, never has been and never will be.

What it is for the club is a cash cow, capable of bringing in so much more dosh because of its 66,000 capacity.

Rather than the 35,000 that could be packed into the atmospheric and intimidating Boleyn Ground.

The consequence of moving the four miles from E13 to E20 has been catastrophic. The Irons have lost their mettle, the heart and soul has gone from the club.

“That walk to the stadium is charmless, the ground itself uninspiring and one can only guess how awful the view is from some of the seats at the back”

Going to the match against Spurs last Saturday and walking once again from Stratford, the thought occurred there was something almost post-apocalyptic about the journey along the shut-off road.

The stroll wasn’t helped when I took my bag to be sniffed by an explosive detector dog and I gave a customary smile at the handler, who then snarled back in true canine fashion.

That walk to the stadium is charmless, the ground itself uninspiring and one can only guess how awful the view is from some of the seats at the back.

It is against this backdrop that Bilic is fighting to keep the Hammers in the top flight.

Last season they scored just 19 goals at home in the Premier League, in their last one at Upton Park they bagged 34 as they finished seventh.

A loss at ‘home’ to Swansea tomorrow, coupled with Bournemouth getting at least a point against Leicester will see the Hammers in the bottom two and Bilic’s odds of being the next manager to be sacked will shorten. They’re already as low at 5-4.

To be fair to the club’s fans, on the evidence of last Saturday they're trying to raise their own game as they bid to get used to the appalling lack of intimacy.

But it’s hard to imagine any team ever again having even the slightest trepidation about playing West Ham away.

And easy to picture supporters pouring out early once more if the team flops again tomorrow.

Lily Hammer
3:18 Sat Sep 30Re: One Journo's view of a 'home' game at the LS

No, the worst thing is the gaps. They act as big physical barriers between huge sections of our support.

HairyHammer
3:15 Sat Sep 30Re: One Journo's view of a 'home' game at the LS

OK it is not in the true sense a football stadium and the atmosphere is not Upton Park but no way is the ground uninspiring, that is just silly and the stadium itself and the views are decent .

The worst thing is that the atmosphere can disappear when the football quality is bad or when the game is slipping away badly, but when West ham play well there is nothing to fault about the stadium from within, everything said about the outside of it being plastic is sort of true.

Stupid cunt article from start to finish. That 'charmless walk' to get to the ground. Isn't that precisely the same walk that was such a wonderful experience during the Olympics?

Northern Sold
1:55 Sat Sep 30Re: One Journo's view of a 'home' game at the LS

So ANOTHER journalists calls our new shit hole.... a shit hole... not being funny but everybody knows now.... yeah it's a shit hole

Private Dancer
1:50 Sat Sep 30Re: One Journo's view of a 'home' game at the LS

Gavros 1:37 Sat Sep 30

But isn't Pudding Mill Lane usually closed on match days?

threesixty
1:41 Sat Sep 30Re: One Journo's view of a 'home' game at the LS

"But it’s hard to imagine any team ever again having even the slightest trepidation about playing West Ham away."

hahahahaha

It must have escaped this journalists mind that we have been relegated twice in the last 16yrs!There was no fortress that intimidated away teams otherwise wouldn't have been battered so many times at home.

In fact our away form has been better than our home form a long time. Upton Park was intimidating for our own players, not the opposition!

Yes I agree that taking any ground or institution out of an area is going to be soulless somewhat because it was bang in the middle of a community. But most people who were fans didn't even live in the community any more so I dont even know if that means anything, nostalgia maybe?

Also, isn't Old Trafford in the middle of something fairly barren as well? Not all stadiums are bang in the middle of community anymore.

I dunno. Just play decent football, win games and everyone enjoys themselves. Dont win, play shit and everyone thinks wherever they are is terrible. Thats just human nature.

Gavros
1:37 Sat Sep 30Re: One Journo's view of a 'home' game at the LS

Whereas in Green St you could go in any direction, stop off at a pub/club or cafe, you have no option at LS but to walk for miles with nothing nearby.

There are two train stations closer to the stadium than Stratford is.

I suggest people take some time to look at a thing called a MAP

Gentile
1:18 Sat Sep 30Re: One Journo's view of a 'home' game at the LS

The points about the ground are spot on.

It's an athletics stadium.

Pray the new owners knock the monstrosity down and build a superb football stadium.

I had a great time in the lower tier next to the away supporters at the Bolton game. Everyone was standing, plenty of banter, songs and people having a laugh. The walk from the station and back to it is horrendous though due to how people are directed all the way around the park with barriers erected. For someone like me whose knees are shot, walking 15 mins is different to walking for bloody 30mins and queuing at Stop/Go signs.

Whereas in Green St you could go in any direction, stop off at a pub/club or cafe, you have no option at LS but to walk for miles with nothing nearby.

I don't like much about the club at the moment but that article is pathetically poor. Reads like a jealous yid wrote it.

simon.s
1:07 Sat Sep 30Re: One Journo's view of a 'home' game at the LS

Last season I'd say the stadium did have a bearing on performances being new for both the players and fans, but that was then. We can't keep rolling that one out. Even so, we still managed to beat Spurs and Chelsea.